This invention relates to an improvement to the sliding roof for automobile roofs shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,165 issued June 10, 1975 and assigned to the assignee of this application. The sliding ventilator is pivotally mounted in the vicinity of its front edge about a pivotal axis which is slidably guided laterally in a roof opening, and which can be displaced in an oblique position partially out of the roof opening into positions above the rear surface of the roof, by raising of the rear edge of the ventilator by means of two link levers, spaced apart one from another, pivotally attached to the ventilator near to its rear edge and swinging in a plane perpendicular to it, the other ends of these levers being pivotally journalled in the roof opening, these two link levers being connected to each other at their ends nearest to the ventilator by a shaft extending between them parallel to the sliding ventilator and rotatably mounted in bearing blocks attached to the sliding ventilator.
As shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,165, provision is made for the sliding ventilator to be capable of being locked in any position by arrester means engaging on the shaft. The sliding roof is characterized especially in that its sliding ventilator is firmly supported in every position of opening, can be operated in a functionally reliable manner and permits infinitely variable adjustment of its ventilation setting. Thus the sliding roof can be adjusted to suit the particular speed of travel and individual ventilating requirements. The point of action for the arrester means, that is the bearing shaft, has proved to be a highly advantageous measure in practice, since in this way it is possible to apply the force effect necessary for the arresting action at a central point favourably situated for this purpose. A more detailed description of this operation can be found in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,165 which is herein incorporated by Reference.
The sliding roof disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,165 permits however only a partial displacement of the sliding ventilator out of the roof opening, with the result that in no position of the sliding ventilator is the entire size of the roof opening utilized. The problem underlying this additional invention therefore is so to construct the sliding roof that by the use of simple means the entire roof opening area is exposed, but without the sliding ventilator being unsightly during driving.